Cap



NOV. 10, 1964 usKm ETAL 3,156,058

CAP

Filed March 1, 1961 1 ll INVENTORS. 24 HENRY RUSK/N ERNEST s. VIOLA I BYJ. wag M 'ATTORNEY United States Patent Filed Mar. 1, 1961, Ser. No.92,616 Claims. ((11. 40-331) This invention relates to a cap and amethod of making the same. The cap of this invention finds particularapplication when utilized as the driver actuating portion of a staplingmachine. The cap construction of the instant invention may also beemployed for typewriter keys, push buttons or any other applicationwhere indicia are borne by a member and where permanency is desired.

The cap of the instant invention is simple and inexpensive tomanufacture. The parts of the cap are held to one another permanentlyand durably. Mechanical impact upon the cap will generally not break itand the indicia are permanently readably and protectively disposed uponthe cap at all times.

Other objects and advantages of the instant invention may also becomeapparent to the reader of this specification.

The cap of the instant invention may be briefly described as comprisinga body member having a recess therewithin and a top member havingindicia thereupon disposed within said recess and adhesively securedthere-- to. The cap is preferably made of a plastic, preferably adissolvable thermoplastic material, and the top member of the cap ispreferably made of a transparent plastic. Raised indicia are preferablycut into the cap portion extending upwardly from the lower surfacethereof, a layer of solvent dissolvable paint is disposed upon saidlower surface, and an intermediate member preferably intervenes the topmember and the bottom of the recess within the body member.

The method of forming the cap of the instant invention may be brieflydescribed as comprising the steps of obtaining an intermediate memberimpervious to the action of a solvent, which solvent should have thecapacity of at least partially dissolving the paint layer upon the lowerface of the top member of the body member. The intermediate member isthen impregnated with the solvent and placed in abutting relationshipwith the painted surface of the top member. The solvent is thereafterapplied to the securable surfaces of the top member and the body member,and the surfaces are placed in abutting relationship until adhesivesecurement of the parts to one another is obtained.

The invention will be further described by reference to the accompanyingdrawings which are made a part of this specification.

FIG. 1 is a top plan View of the top member of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the intermediate member of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a side exploded perspective view of the top member and theintermediate member of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the top member and intermediate member of thisinvention with the parts in assembled relationship.

FIG. 5 is a side exploded perspective view of the top member,intermediate member and body portion of the instant invention.

FIG. 6 is a top plan View of the top member, intermediate member andbody portion of the instant invention in assembled relationship.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the instant invention utilized as a cap for astapling machine.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the form of the invention shown in FIG. 6taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the form of the invention shown in FIG. 7taken along lines 99 of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the form of the invention shown in the accompanyingdrawings for a detailed description thereof, the cap 11 of thisinvention is formed with a top member 12, an intermediate member 13, anda body portion 14. Body portion 14 is formed with a recess 15 which isopen at the top thereof and is formed with a bottom 16 and side portions26.

Top member 12 bears indicia 1'? (consisting in the modification shown ofthe words JOHN DOE) which indicia are cut into the lower face 18 of topmember 12 and extend upwardly therefrom but do not project through theupper face 19 of top member 12. Top member 12 also has a paint layer 20below its lower surface 18 thereof and a downwardly extending tailportion 21 at the rear thereof. Top portion 12 is also formed with sideportions 22.

Body portion 14 of cap 11, in the modification shown in the drawings, isutilized as a cap for a stapling machine and bears a support portion 23and a driver 24 secured thereto. However, it is pointed out, that thecap construction of this invention could also be applied to otherdevices by obvious modifications of the construction thereof.

Body portion 14 of cap 11 is preferably made of cellulose acetatebutyrate resinous material and top member 12 made of the same material.In the preferred modification top member 12 is substantiallytransparent.

Intermediate member 13 is preferably made of a fibrous material such ascotton, paper and the like. Generally intermediate member 13 is woveninto such design as will serve as properv background material forindicia 17.

With the foregoing description of the instant invention, the method ofmaking the same will now be explained.

Body portion 14 is prepared with a recess 15 therewithin, top portion 12with indicia cut thereupon, and intermediate portion 13 are alsoprepared. Top member 12 is thereafter painted on its lower surfacepreferably with a conventional lacquer paint so that the indicia 17appear to have a three-dimensional aspect within top member 12. Theabove steps are conventional and well known in the art. Intermediatemember 13 is then dipped into a material which will partially dissolvepaint layer 20 and is applied, in a proper fixture, to paint layer 20 sothat, where intermediate portion 13 has a woven effect, top member 11will take the woven appearance of intermediate portion 13 as indicatedin FIG. 4.

Where the paint used constitutes a lacquer, acetone is the solventemployed.

The application of intermediate member 13 to top member 12 must be verycarefully done and both portions should be brought together at rightangles to their longitudinal axes and carefully.

After the above assembly is carried out, and where cellulose acetatebutyrate is employed as the plastic, ethyl acetate is then applied tothe side portions 22 of top member 12 and to the bottom and sideportions of recess 15. This step partially dissolves the plastic. Theparts are then carefully brought together in a fixture at right anglesto their longitudinal axes and held into position until adhesivesecurement of all three members is obtained.

Before concluding this specification some of the terms used herein andin the appended claims must be specially defined since the meanings usedare somewhat at variance with the technical definitions thereof.

The term dissolvable, as used to define the paint used herein, meansthat the adhesion of the paint to the surface upon which it is appliedmay be broken.

The term dissolvable as used to define the plastic which is used tomanufacture parts of the instant invention, means that such plastic canbe softened and made sticky so that one member can be adhered to theother member.

The term solvent, as used in this specification, means a material whichcan break the adhesion of the paint to the surface to which it isapplied and/or which can soften the plastic parts of the instantinvention.

The foregoing specific modifications of the instant invention as setforth in the specification herein are'for illustrative purposes and forpurposes of example only. Various changes and modifications mayobviously be made within the spirit and scope of this invention andwould occur to those skilled in this art.

We claim:

1. A cap comprising a body member of resinous material having a recesstherewithin, a substantially transparent top member of resinous materialoverlying said body member and adhesively secured thereto, said topmember having an upper face, a lower face, indicia cut out of said lowerface but beneath said upper face, a dissolvable paint layer beneath saidindicia; and a nondissolvable intermediate member impregnated with apaint dissolving solvent intervening said top member and said bodymember.

2. A cap comprising a body member of resinous material having a recesstherewithin, a substantially transparent top member of resinous materialoverlying said body member and adhesively secured thereto, said topmember having an upper face, a lower face, indicia cut out of said lowerface but beneath said upper face, and a dissolvable paint layer beneathsaid indicia; and a downwardly extending tail portion, and anon-dissolvable intermediate member impregnated with a paint dissolvingsolvent intervening said top member and said body member.

3. A cap comprising a body member of resinous material having alongitudinally disposed recess therewithin, a substantially transparenttop member of resinous material overlying said body member andadhesively secured thereto, said top member having an upper face, alower face, indicia cut out of lower face but beneath said upper face,an acetone dissolvable paint layer between said indicia and anon-acetone-dissolvable but acetone impregnated intermediate memberintervening said top memher and said body member.

4. A cap comprising a body member of cellulose acetate butyrate resinhaving a longitudinally disposed recess therewithin, a substantiallytransparent top member also of cellulose acetate butyrate resinoverlying said body member and adhesively secured thereto, said topmember having an upper face, a lower face, indicia cut out of said lowerface but beneath said upper face and a lacquer layer beneath saidindicia, a woven fiber acetone impregnated intermediate memberintervening said top member and said body member.

5. A cap comprising a body member of thermoplastic resinous materialhaving a longitudinally disposed recess therewithin, a substantiallytransparent top member also of thermoplastic resinous material overlyingsaid body member and adhesively secured thereto, said top member havingan upper face, a lower face, indicia cut out of said lower face butbeneath said upper face and a paint layer beneath said indicia; and apaint dissolving solvent impregnated fiber intermediate memberintervening said top member and said body member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,918,243 7/33Bergaud. 1,974,682 9/34 Margoshes 40331 X 2,214,030 9/40 Pereles.

2,294,159 8/42 Calabro 154-118 2,295,468 9/42 Haley 40-332 2,338,1891/44 Libby et al. cs 154118 2,733,526 2/56 Blay 4033l JEROME SCHNALL,Primary Examiner.

E. V. BENHAM, Examiner.

1. A CAP COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER OF RESINOUS MATERIAL HAVING A RECESSTHEREWITHIN, A SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSPARENT TOP MEMBER OF RESINOUS MATERIALOVERLYING SAID BODY MEMBER AND ADHESIVELY SECURED THERETO, SAID TOPMEMBER HAVING AN UPPER FACE, A LOWER FACE, INDICIA CUT OUT OF SAID LOWERFACE BUT BENEATH SAID UPPER FACE, A DISSOLVABLE PAINT LAYER BENEATH SAIDINDICIA; AND A NONDISSOLVABLE INTERMEDIATE MEMBER IMPREGNATED WITH APAINT DISSOLVING SOLVENT INTERVENING SAID TOP MEMBER AND SAID BODYMEMBER.